Beaches
Southern Ocean Coves
The best beaches in Port Elliot
From the turquoise coves of Second Valley to the wide drive-on sands of Aldinga and the sheltered cup of Horseshoe Bay at Port Elliot, the Fleurieu's beaches are as varied as its landscapes.
The Fleurieu Peninsula has two very different coastlines, and that's what makes its beaches so good. On the sheltered Gulf St Vincent side you get calm, swimmable water and long stretches of sand — Aldinga, where you can still drive onto the beach, plus Sellicks, Maslin, Moana and the dramatic cliffs and jetty ruins of Port Willunga, home to the wreck of the Star of Greece.
Around the southern tip and along the Encounter Coast, the wild Southern Ocean takes over. This is the surf and big-sky country of Goolwa Beach, Middleton, Waitpinga and Parsons Beach, where the swell rolls in uninterrupted. In between sit the gentle, family-friendly coves: Horseshoe Bay at Port Elliot, Normanville, Second Valley and the rock pools of the western beaches.
Before you go, check the tides and conditions — the Gulf beaches are best around high tide, while many surf beaches have strong rips and are unpatrolled. Plenty of beaches are dog-friendly and have easy parking, making the Fleurieu one of the most rewarding stretches of coast in South Australia for a swim, a surf, a walk or simply a sunset.
Browse beaches by area
10 places
BIG4 Port Elliot Holiday Park
$$Beachfront caravan park at Horseshoe Bay
A family caravan park right on the beach at Horseshoe Bay, Port Elliot - cabins, ensuite sites, caravan and camping sites, and a direct walk to the sand.
Basham Beach
A quiet, family-friendly stretch of sand just east of Middleton, part of the Basham Beach Regional Park, with a clifftop walking trail and good rock pools.
Boomer Beach
Port Elliot's big-wave reef break
A dramatic reef break at the western end of Port Elliot, named for the thunderous sound of its crashing waves. A classic South Australian surf spot for experienced riders.
Chiton Rocks
A small sand-and-rock beach between Port Elliot and Middleton, best known as one of the most consistent surf breaks on the south coast.
Green Bay
A secret cove between the Port Elliot headlands
A tiny tucked-away cove between Rocky Bay and Knights Beach, reached via the Harbourmasters Trail. Calm days bring crystal-clear water for snorkelling; rough days bring dramatic wave shows.
Horseshoe Bay
Port Elliot's sheltered family cove
A near-perfect horseshoe of sandy beach framed by sandstone headlands at Port Elliot, one of the safest swimming beaches on the Encounter Coast.
Knights Beach
World-class bodyboarding and a sheltered swim
Knights Beach sits on the eastern edge of Port Elliot's headlands and is rated among the top bodyboarding breaks in the world when a south-southeast swell is running. On smaller days it offers a safer family swim than neighbouring Boomer Beach.
Middleton
Surf beach village between Port Elliot and Goolwa
Small beachside village between Port Elliot and Goolwa on the Encounter Coast, with one of the Fleurieu's most consistent surf breaks and a famous pub.
Middleton Beach
The Fleurieu learn-to-surf beach
A long, gently-shelving sand beach between Port Elliot and Goolwa, widely regarded as the best learn-to-surf beach on the Fleurieu Peninsula.
Pullen Island
A small offshore granite island just off Horseshoe Bay at Port Elliot - a defining feature of the bay's view, accessible to experienced swimmers in calm conditions.